Machine lifetime performance and reliability

The objective of this book is to provide guidelines for engineers helping them to improve machine lifetime performance and reliability. Many books are written about machine design. Most of these are focused on selection and computation of basic machine elements. Those calculations generally relate to the strength and stiffness of machine elements. In practice, it appears that few machine problems are caused by these issues thanks to the attention paid to strength calculation. Most machine problems occur with the passage of time, from dynamic loading and interacting surfaces in relative motion. Friction and wear of interacting surfaces in relative motion may take on an unacceptable form, resulting in play, frictional heat or jams. In rolling contacts surface fatigue is generally the predominant failure mode. Cyclically loaded machine elements may suddenly result in fatigue fracture after a large number of load cycles. It is estimated that approximately 95% of all machine problems are related to fatigue fracture and Tribology phenomena as friction and wear. The science focusing on the management of friction, wear and fatigue consequently deserves the necessary attention. The purpose of this book is to give insight, through case studies and a wide range of illustrations, into how machine performance deteriorates, how machine elements may fail, how to analyze the cause of performance deterioration and failure, and, most importantly, how failures may be prevented and performance can be improved. The possibilities of pushing the boundaries of load-carrying capacity, and motion control are explored. With newly-gained insights the engineer is better equipped to reach innovative solutions to further optimize machine lifetime performance, improve machine reliability and…